“Oerw ; 


IDOLATRY  MISREPRESENTS  THE  DEITY. 


SERMON 


ORDINATION  OF  REV.  IRA  TRACY. 


MISSIONARY  TO  EASTERN  ASIA. 


WINDSOR,  VT RICHARDS  AND  TRACT. 


IDOLATRY  MISREPRESENTS  THE  DEITY, 


A SERMON ; 


DELIVERED  AT  THE  ORDINATION  OF  REV.  IRA  TRACY, 


AT  HARTFORD,  VT.  OCT.  ‘28,  1832 


BY  JOSEPH  TRACY 


[Published  by  Request  ] 


WINDSOR,  VT.  : 

RICHARDS  AND  TRACT,  PUBLISHERS. 


1 8 3 3. 


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8 E R MON. 


Exodus  xx.  4 — C. — “Thou  shalt  not  make  unto  thee  any  graven  image, 
or  any  likeness  of  any  tiling  that  is  in  heaven  above,  or  that  is  in  the  earth 
beneath,  or  that  is  in  the  waters  under  the  earth  : thou  shalt  not  bow  down 
thyself  to  them,  nor  serve  them  ; for  I the  Lord  thy  God  am  a jealous  God, 
visiting  the  iniquity  of  the  fathers  upon  the  children  unto  the  third  and 
fourth  generation  of  them  that  hate  me,  and  showing  mercy  unto  thousands 
of  them  that  love  me  and  keep  my  commandments. 

The  most  untaught  heathen  at  Athens  or  at  Rome  would 
never  mistake  the  image  of  Apollo  for  that  of  Jupiter,  even 
if  the  bow  and  quiver  of  the  one  and  the  thunderbolt  of  the 
other  were  concealed  from  his  view ; for  in  the  very  coun- 
tenance of  the  god  of  song,  he  would  see  marks  of  that  ar- 
dor of  thought  and  feeling,  which  always  accompany  ge- 
nius, while  the  countenance  of  the  king  of  high  Olympus 
would  exhibit  the  calm  dignity  of  one  who  feels  himself 
worthy  to  be  obeyed,  and  able  to  enforce  obedience.  So, 
Mars  and  Mercury,  Juno,  Minerva  and  Venus,  all  had  their 
appropriate  forms  and  countenances,  expressive  of  their  pe- 
culiar characters.  And  the  modern  idolaters  of  Italy  ad- 
here to  the  same  principle.  The  artist  must  give  to  the  im- 
age or  picture  of  every  saint,  a face  in  which  his  character 
may  be  seen.  The  numerous  pictures  of  the  Virgin  Mary, 
for  instance,  though  wholly  fictitious,  being  designed  to  ex- 
hibit the  well-known  peculiar  traits  of  the  character  ascrib- 
ed to  her,  are  as  much  alike,  and  as  readily  distinguished 
from  all  other  pictures,  as  the  heads  of  W ashington  in  this 
country. 

One  of  the  most  celebrated  Italian  artists  was  employed 
in  painting  the  Last  Supper  of  our  Lord.  One  by  one  he 
studied  the  characters  of  the  apostles,  and  then  settled  in 


4 


lus  own  mind,  and  then  painted  on  the  canvass,  a form  and 
countenance  in  which  any  beholder  might  see  that  charac- 
ter expressed.  He  then  applied  himself  to  the  character 
of  our  Saviour.  He  studied  the  attributes  of  his  mind  and 
heart.  He  sought,  in  all  the  stores  of  his  own  inventive  fan- 
cy, for  a combination  of  features  and  complexion,  which 
should  express  those  attributes, — the  conscious  power,  the 
wisdom,  the  holiness,  the  love,  the  mercy,  the  meekness,  the 
patience,  the  whole  character  of  the  divine  Redeemer.  He 
sought  long — intensely — but  in  vain.  Every  countenance 
he  could  imagine  fell  evidently  far  below ; and  at  last  he 
threw  down  his  pencil  in  despair,  declaring  that  the  face  of 
Christ  could  not  be  painted.  He  did  not  doubt  his  own 
ability  to  fix  distinctly  on  that  canvass,  any  imaginable  face ; 
but  he  had  learned  that  no  countenance  can  express  the  at- 
tributes of  the  Deity,  and  that  whoever  should  gather  his 
idea  of  the  character  of  Christ  from  any  visible  representa- 
tion of  him,  must  of  necessity  be  misled.  Whether  he  made 
that  application  of  his  discovery  or  not,  he  had  discovered 
the  truth  which  is  the  ground  of  the  commandment  in  the 
text,  forbidding  us  to  worship  any  image,  or  any  likeness  of 
any  created  thing. 

The  use  of  images,  or  of  any  visible  “ likeness,”  in  wor- 
ship, cannot  fail  to  misrepresent  the  divine  nature.  While 
it  must  inevitably  fail  to  convey  to  the  mind  of  the  worship- 
er, such  ideas  of  the  Deity  as  are  needed,  it  cannot  fail  to 
convey  such  as  are  positively  injurious.  “ We  ought  not  to 
think  that  the  Godhead  is  like  unto  gold,  or  silver,  or  stone, 
graven  by  art,  and  man’s  device nor  can  we  think  it,  with- 
out injury  to  our  minds  and  morals.  This  it  will  be  the  ob- 
ject of  this  discourse  to  show  and  apply ; and  you  see  its 
bearing  on  the  propriety  of  our  present  employment,  and 
on  our  duty  in  time  to  come. 

I.  The  use  of  images  in  worship  cannot  fail  to  misrep- 
resent the  Divine  Nature,  for, 

1.  Cod  is  a Spirit ; but  an  image  is  no  representation 
of  spiritual  existence.  The  image  is  itself  a mass  of  mat- 
ter, and  cannot  be  regarded  as  the  image  of  any  being  In 
which  matter  has  no  part.  It  gives  no  intimation  of  ability 
to  see  without  material  eyes,  or  hear  without  material  ears, 
or  act  in  any  way  without  a body  and  members,  composed 
of  matter.  It  continually  suggests  the  contrary.  Why 


those  bodily  organs,  it'  nothing  of  the  kind  is  needed? 
Why,  indeed,  lias  it  a bodily  form  at  all,  if  it  represents  a 
pure  spirit,  which  has  no  form?  Why  is  it  made  visible,  if  it 
represents  Him  who  is  in  his  very  nature  invisible?  Hence 
those  heathens,  who  had  thought  enough  to  dispute  at  all  on 
the  subject,  have  disputed  about  the  shape  of  the  gods; — 
whether  they  have  a human  form,  or  some  other  form, — 
and  whether  they  have  a real  body,  or  only  as  it  were  a 
body. 

2.  God  is  eternal;  from  everlasting  to  everlasting. 
Nothing  pertaining  to  an  image  represents  this.  The  im- 
age, as  the  beholder  plainly  sees,  was  made  at  some  time. 
lie  sees  the  old  image  thrown  away,  and  a new  one  put  in 
its  place ; or  he  sees  it  decaying,  and  assists  in  repairing  it 
that  it  may  last  the  longer.  Nor  has  it  the  form  of  any 
thing,  which  is  known  to  be  eternal.  The  form  of  any  thing 
that  lives  suggests  the  thought  of  birth  ; of  beginning  to 
live.  What  more  natural,  than  that  idolaters  should  write 
books  on  the  births  and  successive  dynasties  of  the  gods? 

3.  God  is  infinite.  The  image  is  no  representation  of 
infinity.  What ! Omnipresence  represented  by  a block  of 
wood,  present  only  in  one  little  place  ? Omnipotence  rep- 
resented by  a body  which  cannot  take  care  of  itself,  in  the 
shape  of  a creature  which  is  crushed  before  the  moth  ? Om- 
niscience represented  by  that  which  cannot  think,  in  the 
shape  of  one  who  is  of  yesterday  and  knows  nothing  ? In- 
finite goodness,  represented  by  that  which  has  no  moral 
qualities,  in  the  shape  of  a finite  being,  whose  moral  quali- 
ties are  bad,  or  at  best,  largely  mixed  with  evil  ? No.  The 
image  teaches,  and  cannot  fail  to  teach,  that  a god  is  a be- 
ing of  limited  power,  acting  in  a limited  space,  under  the 
guidance  of  limited  knowledge  and  imperfect  goodness,  if 
good  at  all,  and  liable  to  fail  in  his  efforts,  from  the  opposi- 
tion of  others,  or  from  their  intrinsic  difficulty.  And  as  such, 
the  heathen  have  always  described  their  gods. 

4.  God  is  immutable.  He  changes  not.  An  image  can- 
not represent  immutability.  Every  body  knows  that  it  be- 
came an  image  by  undergoing  changes  in  the  hands  of  the 
craftsman  ; and  every  body  knows  that,  if  its  shape  shall  be 
found  defective,  its  head  too  large  or  its  arm  too  small,  the 
craftsman  can  change  it  again,  as  it  shall  please  him.  Nor 
is  it  in  the  shape  of  any  thing  immutable.  Both  man  and 
beast  are  continually  changing,  both  in  body  and  mind.  How 


6 


could  we  expect,  then,  that  idolaters  would  not  represent 
their  gods  as  changeable, — abandoning  one  purpose  and 
taking  up  another,  and  displeased  now  with  what  pleased 
them  formerly,  so  that  their  worshippers  know  not  where  to 
find  them  ? 

5.  God  is  the  Creator.  An  image  cannot  be  a represen- 
tation of  creative  power.  Itself  is  made  of  created  matter. 
Its  form,  its  existence  as  an  image,  was  given  it  by  the  labor 
of  man.  It  is  dead,  and  can  do  nothing.  Nor  is  it  in  the 
shape  of  any  thing  that  has  creative  power.  Look  at  it. 
Does  that  look  as  if  it  could  make  any  thing  ? or  as  if  any 
thing  which  it  represents  could  cause  matter  to  exist  ? The 
heathen  themselves  do  not  think  so.  Their  gods,  according 
to  their  own  account,  never  caused  matter  to  exist.  They 
only  churned  the  sea,  and  brought  up  the  dry  land  out  of 
it ; or,  in  some  other  way  equally  ridiculous,  gave  the  world 
its  present  form.  And  now,  they  think,  the  world  stands  of 
itself.  The  gods  neither  created  it  at  first,  nor  uphold  it  by 
the  word  of  their  power. 

6.  God  is  one.  He  is  God  alone,  and  there  is  none  like 
him.  Images  cannot  represent  this.  The  very  idea  of  an 
image  implies  that  there  may  be  something  like  him.  All 
the  attributes  which  an  image  can  express,  are  such  as  may 
belong  to  more  than  one  subject.  Imagine  a god  to  be  any 
thing  which  an  image  can  represent,  and  you  see  no  reason 
why  there  may  not  be  twenty  or  a hundred  such.  Indeed, 
if  a god  is  such  a limited  being  as  the  image  suggests,  and 
if  their  influence  is  exerted  every  where,  there  must  be  a 
host  of  them.  Hence,  idolaters  always  have  many  gods. 
Hence,  again,  on  some  occasions,  they  know  not  to  what 
god  they  ought  to  pray,  or  whether  some  other  god,  or  com- 
bination of  gods,  may  not  oppose  the  granting  of  their  re- 
quests. How  can  they  know  it,  when,  perhaps,  there  are 
thousands  of  gods,  of  whom  they  never  heard  ? And  how 
can  they  know  that  the  service  they  render  to  one  will  not  dis- 
please a multitude  of  others,  and  thus  raise  up  against  them 
a host  of  enemies,  against  whom  their  god  will  be  unable  to 
defend  them  ? 

7.  God  is  unassailable.  No  creature,  or  combination 
of  creatures,  can  make  any  approaches  towards  interrupt- 
ing or  diminishing  his  perfect  blessedness.  No  image  can 
represent  this.  Consider  how  an  image  looks.  Does  its  ap- 
pearance impress  upon  your  mind  the  belief,  that  the  being 


whom  it  represents  is  far  above,  out  of  your  reach  ? How 
easily  it  is  defaced,  or  broken  ! Ilow  certainly,  if  let  alone 
it  will  tumble  to  ruin  of  itself!  If  it  resembles  any  living 
thing,  how  easy  may  that  which  it  resembles  be  put  in  pain, 
or  put  to  death! 

8.  God  cannot  be  tempted.  An  image  gives  no  indica- 
tion of  superiority  to  temptation.  As  to  its  substance,  it  is 
dead  matter,  and  beneath  temptation.  Its  form,  whether 
brute  or  human,  is  the  form  of  something  which  can  be 
tempted  to  its  ruin.  So  far,  then,  as  the  contemplation  of 
the  image  has  any  influence,  the  god  will  be  regarded  as  lia- 
ble, not  only  to  be  tempted,  but  to  be  led  astray  by  tempta- 
tion ; and  such  is  the  history  of  the  heathen  gods. 

9.  God  is  superior  to  human  appetites  and  passions. 
Not  only  is  he  secure  against  temptation  from  without,  but 
free  from  any  principles  or  movements  in  his  own  mind, 
which  have  any  tendency  to  lead  him  astray.  This,  too,  the 
image,  with  all  its  influence,  denies.  It  either  likens  the 
god  to  a brute,  led  wholly  by  appetite  without  reason,  or 
compares  him  to  a man,  every  imagination  of  the  thoughts 
of  whose  heart  is  only  evil  continually.  But,  we  arc  told, 
the  god  has  an  expressive  countenance.  True ; but  what 
does  it  express  ? Human  thought,  human  appetites,  human 
passions;  or  brutal  ferocity,  or  stupidity;  or  some  mon- 
strous compound  and  exaggeration  of  both.  This  is  the 
whole  amount  of  what  form,  feature  and  complexion  can 
do. 

Such,  then,  is  the  influence  of  image  worship,  and  as 
such,  under  its  influence,  do  the  heathen  learn  to  regard 
their  gods ; not  pure  spirits ; not  eternal ; limited  in  power, 
knowledge,  goodness,  and  sphere  of  action ; changeable ; 
destitute  of  creative  power ; not  above  the  possibility  of  hav- 
ing an  equal,  but  actually  having  equals,  and  many  of  them 
superiors ; liable  to  in  jury  ; capable  of  temptation  ; led  astray 
by  appetite  and  by  passion. 

Are  we  told  that  some  heathens  have  entertained  higher 
views  ? I grant  that  something  of  the  original  revelation 
of  God  to  man  w as  long  handed  dow  n by  tradition ; that 
now  and  then,  aided  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  it  enlightened  a 
soul  into  the  knowledge  of  God  : and  at  other  times,  meet- 
ing a superior  mind,  it  blazed  up  into  a philosophy  at  war 
w ith  the  prevailing  faith.  But  the  whole  influence  of  image 
worship  fought  against  it,  and,  with  few  exceptions,  with 


8 


entire  success.  Tlie  multitude  entertained  such  views  of 
the  divine  nature  as  images  were  fitted  to  inspire.  Under 
its  influence,  the  nations  sunk  deeper  and  deeper  into  dark- 
ness ; and  in  the  last  eighteen  centuries,  the  heathen  world 
has  not  produced  a Socrates  or  a Plutarch.  Images,  of  ne- 
cessity, do  misrepresent  the  Divine  Nature ; and  when  used 
from  age  to  age,  the  misrepresentation  will  have  its  effect, 
the  true  idea  of  God  will  be  lost,  and  degrading  superstition 
will  take  its  place.  With  what  entire  propriety,  then,  are 
the  idols  of  the  heathen  called  “ lying  vanities !”  But  we 
have  not  yet  exhausted  the  catalogue  of  their  falsehoods. 

II.  They  misrepresent  the  nature  of  religion.  God  must 
be  worshiped  “in  spirit  and  in  truth,”  because  he  “is  a 
spirit.”  If  he  were  such  a being  as  an  image  might  rep- 
resent, spiritual  worship  would  be  wholly  inappropriate. 
Were  he  such,  he  ought  to  be  worshiped  either  “in  Jeru- 
salem, or  in  this  mountain  only  at  set  times  and  places ; 
only  by  the  performance  of  prescribed  ceremonies,  the  va- 
lidity of  which  would  depend,  not  on  the  spirit  of  the  wor- 
shiper, but  on  the  nice  observance  of  the  outward  form. 
This  limited  God  must  be  worshiped  when  and  where  he 
could  be  found;  and  at  other  times  and  places,  his  worship 
may  be  neglected.  This  corporeal  god  must  be  worshiped 
by  bodily  acts,  which  the  senses  may  perceive.  This  god 
with  human  or  brutal  passions  and  appetites,  must  be  wor- 
shiped with  what  gratifies  such  passions  and  appetites  ; — 
even  if  it  be  the  secret  or  public  performance  of  abomina- 
tions, of  which  it  is  a shame  even  to  speak.  If  his  nature 
be  such  as  a brutal  image  may  represent,  he  must  be  coax- 
ed and  wheedled,  fed,  caressed  and  managed,  like  a power- 
ful beast,  whose  assistance  we  need.  If  it  be  such  as  a hu- 
man figure  may  represent,  he  must  be  managed  as  we  man- 
age men.  We  must  leave  nothing  to  his  integrity.  We 
must  place  no  reliance  on  his  own  love  of  righteousness, 
and  truth,  and  mercy.  We  must  observe  the  prescribed 
forms  of  doing  business  with  him.  We  must  commend  our 
cause  to  his  favorable  regard,  by  whatever  will  flatter  his 
pride  or  gratify  his  inclinations.  If  he  is  our  enemy,  we 
must  make  such  concessions  and  send  him  such  gifts  as  will 
appease  his  wrath  and  purchase  his  favor;  or,  if  we  do  not 
choose  to  give  up  the  point  in  dispute  between  us  and  him, 
we  must  apply  to  other  gods  for  assistance,  and  form  an  al- 


9 


liance  with  one  or  more  of  them,  by  whose  help  we  may 
stand  our  ground  for  a while,  and  carry  our  point  in  defiance 
of  lift;  god  who  is  our  enemy,  and  whose  favor  it  will  be  well 
to  recover  soon  by  costly  gifts,  lest  he  come  upon  us  in  re- 
venge while  our  defenders  are  asleep  or  on  a journey. 

And  if  such  be  the  worship,  what  will  be  the  religion,  to 
which  this  worship  belongs?  What  are  those  habits  of 
thought  and  feeling,  which  such  worship  may  express  and 
promote?  Evidently,  not  that  fearless  regard  to  right, 
which  follows  principles,  let  them  lead  where  they  will ; not 
that  generous,  self-sacrificing  regard  for  others,  which  is  as 
careful  of  their  welfare  as  of  our  own ; not  intense  and  ha- 
bitual longings  and  endeavors  after  a degree  of  holiness,  to 
which  even  the  gods  are  believed  to  be  strangers;  not  the 
crucifying  of  the  flesh,  with  the  affections  and  lusts,  and  the 
deliberate  seeking  of  none  but  spiritual  joys.  Instead  of 
these,  there  will  be  a giving  up  of  the  soul  to  that  imperfec- 
tion, from  which  even  the  gods  are  not  free  ; a seeking  of 
those  gratifications,  which  even  the  gods  value,  and  by  which 
their  favor  is  purchased  ; a spirit  of  calculation  and  plan- 
ning and  bargaining  for  the  means  and  opportunities  of  self- 
ish indulgence.  Repentance,  mourning  for  sin  because  it 
is  exceeding  sinful,  can  have  no  place  in  it ; but  in  its  stead 
there  will  be  sorrow  for  omitting  some  device,  by  which  the 
help  of  some  god  in  seeking  our  own  pleasure  might  have 
been  procured.  Faith,  founded  on  principle,  the  commit- 
ting of  our  souls  in  the  ways  of  well-doing  to  him  that  judg- 
eth  righteously,  can  have  no  place  in  it ; but  instead  of  it,  a 
reliance  on  forms  and  ceremonies  and  gifts,  and  on  our  own  • 

skill  and  faithfulness  in  applying  them.  And  with  faith 
and  repentance,  regeneration,  which  cannot  exist  without 
them,  is  excluded,  and  man  is  left  to  the  guidance  of  those 
mere  natural  principles,  under  the  guidance  of  which  he  is 
dead  in  trespasses  and  sins. 

III.  Image  worship  misleads  the  mind  with  respect  to 
morals  ; and  by  morals,  in  this  place,  I mean  our  duties  to- 
wards each  other. 

Had  this  been  announced  in  the  beginning  of  this  dis- 
course, it  might  have  provoked  some  smiles  of  incredulity  ; 
but  after  what  has  been  said,  an  argument  is  scarce  needed 
to  prove  it.  How  can  a high  and  pure  morality  dwell  in 
that  mind,  w hose  intercourse  with  the  gods,  whose  religion, 

B 


10 


is  a mere  tissue  of  bargaining  and  intrigue  for  selfish  gratifi- 
cation? Honest  on  principle  towards  men,  while  destitute 
of  principle  towards  the  gods — those  gods  in  whose  exist- 
ence he  believes,  and  with  whom  he  has  to  do  every  day ! 
Acting  upon  higher  and  purer  principles  towards  men,  than 
he  supposes  the  gods  act  upon  towards  him ! Kept  from  all 
vice,  at  all  times,  and  in  all  places,  by  his  regard  for  gods 
who  are  neither  omnipresent,  omniscient  nor  omnipotent! 
Kept  from  crime  by  his  fear  of  a god,  whose  favor  may  be 
bought  by  a sacrifice  that  will  cost  a dollar ! Made  to  res- 
train his  passions,  by  his  reverence  for  gods  who  are  of  like 
passions  with  himself!  Refined  from  the  indulgence  of  sen- 
sual appetites,  by  meditating  on  gods,  who  feel  the  same 
appetites  and  love  to  indulge  them ! It  cannot  be.  Image 
worship  teaches  the  principles  of  immorality,  and  reduces 
them  to  practice  towards  the  gods  ; and  the  worshipers  will 
be  sure  to  go  away  and  reduce  them  to  practice  towards 
men.  If  one  principle  of  truth  or  honesty  or  purity  is  found 
in  an  idolater,  it  comes  from  some  other  source,  and  the 
whole  influence  of  his  religion  is,  to  drive  it  from  him.  Its 
whole  influence  is,  to  make  men  “ earthly,  sensual,  devil- 
ish and  where  it  has  prevailed  for  ages,  it  would  be  un- 
reasonable to  expect  any  thing  different  from  what  we  find 
there  ; — sensuality,  and  covetousness,  and  cunning,  and 
falsehood,  and  cruelty. 

How  different,  when  a local  centre  and  imposing  ceremo- 
nies of  worship  were  proper,  the  establishment  which  the 
wisdom  of  God  provided  for  his  ancient  people  ! In  every 
part  of  their  land,  and  in  every  country  of  their  wanderings, 
at  the  time  of  the  morning  and  evening  sacrifice,  every  Is- 
raelite prayed  with  his  face  toward  Jerusalem.  And  three 
times  in  the  year,  all  the  males  to  whom  it  was  possible 
must  appear  there  at  the  solemn  feasts.  And  why  this  hon- 
or done  to  Jerusalem  ? Because  there  was  the4temple,  with 
all  its  beauty,  its  richness  and  its  grandeur,  its  furniture  of 
gold  and  silver,  and  its  trains  of  priests  adorned  with  gar- 
ments, made  for  beauty  and  for  glory.  But  the  temple  it- 
self was  not  the  holiest.  It  borrowed  its  sacrcdness  from 
the  holy  of  holies,  into  which  the  high  priest  alone  might 
enter  once  in  the  year,  and  then  not  without  blood.  And 
the  holy  of  holies  itself  was  but  a covering  for  the  still 
more  sacred  ark.  And  the  ark  itself  was  but  a coffer,  to 
contain  the  real  centre  of  Israel’s  worship — and  what  was 


11 


tliut  sacred  deposile  in  the  ark,  that  holy  and  venerable  cen- 
tre, towards  which  all  feet  travelled,  and  all  eyes  turned, 
and  all  hearts  felt  themselves  drawn,  at  the  stated  seasons 
of  prayer  and  praise  ? You  know  the  answer — the  ark  con- 
tained TRUTHS,  FRINCIFLES,  IDEAS  OK  RIGHTEOUSNESS,  THE 
TRANSCRIPT  OF  THE  CHARACTER  OF  A HOLY  God  ; precepts, 

which  carried  the  mind  upward  to  him  whom  no  eye  hath 
seen,  and  who  alone  is  absolute  goodness  ; which  sent  the 
mind  abroad  in  thoughts  of  just  and  kind  regard  for  our  fel- 
low-men, rendering  to  every  one  his  due  ; and  which  bade 
the  mind  look  inward  upon  its  ow  n secret  recesses,  and  search 
out  and  expel  every  hidden  and  lurking  tendency  to  evil. 
To  give  glory  and  dignity  and  influence  to  this,  was  the 
whole  object  of  that  august  ceremonial ; and  to  this,  even 
the  visible  glory  over  the  mercy  seat  was  only  an  append- 
age. Here  was  something  to  make  men  think,  and  to 
guide  their  thoughts.  Here,  every  thing  that  could  charm 
and  dazzle  and  overawe  the  senses,  was  made  to  carry  the 
thoughts  and  the  afl'ections  beyond  objects  of  sense,  and  fas- 
ten them  upon  those  eternal  truths,  that  pure  and  hply  lawr, 
which  is  first  written  by  the  finger  of  God, — whether  it  be 
on  tables  of  stone,  or  on  fleshly  tables  of  the  heart.  Here 
was  that  which  could  purify  the  soul,  and  make  it  both  the 
abode  and  radiating  centre  of  holy  blessedness  on  earth, 
and  fit  for  heaven. — From  all  these,  idolatry,  as  we  have 
seen,  takes  away  the  mind.  It  causes  them  to  be  forgotten. 
In  successive  generations,  it  prevents  their  being  known. 
It  teaches  their  exact  opposite ; and  therefore,  with  its 
whole  influence,  drags  the  mind  down,  first  to  earth,  and 
then  to  hell. 

Does  any  one  call  this  mere  human  reasoning,  and  de- 
mand proof  from  scripture  ? It  shall  be  given.  You  shall 
have  the  same  arguments,  for  substance,  in  the  same  order, 
leading  to  the  same  conclusion,  from  an  inspired  apostle. 

Turn  to  the  first  chapter  of  the  epistle  to  the  Romans, 
23d  verse,  and  you  will  read  that  the  heathen  “ changed  the 
glory  of  the  incorruptible  God  into  an  image,  made  like  to 
corruptible  man,  and  to  birds,  and  four  footed  beasts,  and 
creeping  things.”  Note  the  change  of  which  the  apostle 
speaks.  Before  the  change,  the  object  of  worship  was  the 
glorious  and  incorruptible  God ; afterwards,  it  was  an  im- 
age, made  like  to  corruptible  man  and  lower  animals.  Af- 
ter the  change,  they  had  a “ corruptible”  object  of  worship, 


12 


in  the  likeness  of  “ corruptible”  creatures.  The  God  they 
now  worshiped  had  not  the  “ glory  of  the  incorruptible 
God.”  It  was  destitute  of  that  glory,  which  Moses  prayed 
that  God  would  show  him,  when  God  granted  his  request 
by  causing  his  “ goodness”  to  pass  before  him  ; that  “ glory 
of  the  Lord”  by  beholding  which  “ we  are  changed  into  the 
same  image,  from  glory  to  glory.”  It  was  destitute  of  that 
moral  excellence,  the  contemplation  of  which  could  exert  a 
transforming,  purifying  influence  upon  the  worshipers. 
When  they  had  thus  “changed”  the  truth  of  God  into  a lie 
— changed  the  truth  concerning  God  for  a lie  concerning 
God,  or  rather,  changed  the  true  God  for  an  idol  which  mis- 
represented him,  the  25th  verse  informs  us,  their  worship 
degenerated;  they  “worshiped  and  served  the  creature, 
more  than,  or  rather  than  the  Creator,  who  is  blessed  forev- 
er.” There  was  no  spiritual  worship;  no  worship  which 
could  express  or  promote  holiness  of  heart.  It  consisted  in 
treating  a mere  creature  as  God.  Their  worship,  therefore, 
like  their  God,  was  a lie,  and  could  only  lead  on  still  deep- 
er into  error  and  into  sin.  The  consequences,  you  may 
read  in  the  remaining  verses  of  this  chapter.  They  were  “fil- 
led with  all  unrighteousness,  fornication,  wickedness,  covet- 
ousness, maliciousness ; full  of  murder,  debate,  deceit,  ma- 
lignity ; whisperers,  back-biters,  haters  of  God,  despiteful, 
proud,  boasters,  inventors  of  evil  things,  disobedient  to  pa- 
rents, without  understanding,  covenant-breakers,  without 
natural  affection,  implacable,  unmerciful.”  Such  is  idola- 
try, and  such  are  idolaters,  as  described  in  the  word  of  God ; 
and  heathens  in  different  and  distant  parts  of  the  world 
have  been  astonished  at  its  accuracy,  and  have  been  convin- 
ced by  reading  this  very  passage,  that  this  book  must  be  the 
work  of  one,  who  knows  all  the  secrets  of  men.  Well  did 
the  same  Apostle  say,  that  “ idolaters  shall  not  inherit  the 
kingdom  of  God.” 

It  is  not,  then,  a vain  thing,  to  seek  the  conversion  of  the 
heathen.  We  engage  in  no  wild  and  useless  crusade  against 
speculations  which  do  neither  good  nor  harm.  Idolatry  is 
in  the  world.  It  now  envelopes  three-fourths  of  the  human 
race  in  its  darkness.  They  bow  down  to  that  which  is  not 
God.  Their  worship  excites  no  holy  thoughts;  strengthens 
no  holy  purpose ; gives  no  holy  joy,  no  holy  peace,  no  holy 
hope.  Their  very  religion  leads  them  away  from  all  that 
can  purify  and  save;  away  from  all  views  of  God  and  of 


13 


truth,  which  can  strengthen  them  to  resist  temptation,  or 
which  can  encourage  penitence ; from  all  that  can,  as  the 
human  soul  needs,  guide  in  prosperity,  console  in  affliction, 
and  sustain  in  the  hour  of  death.  Their  very  worship  makes 
them  more  and  more  the  slaves  of  appetite  and  passion, 
blinds  them  to  the  nature  and  obligation  of  duty,  and  turns 
them  loose  to  degrade  themselves  and  destroy  each  other  by 
sensuality,  violence  and  fraud.  Through  its  influence, 
“ the  dark  places  of  the  earth  are  full  of  the  habitations  of 
cruelty.”  Even  the  ties  of  kindred  are  broken,  and  parents 
sacrifice  their  children  and  children  their  parents  to  them 
that  are  no  gods,  or  cast  them  away  to  die,  merely  to  be  rid 
of  their  burden.  They  “ bite  and  devour  one  another,”  as 
they  move  in  one  dark  mass  down  the  broad  way  that  lead- 
eth  to  destruction.  And  these  evils  are  not  found  united 
with  idolatry  only  now  and  then,  and  by  accident.  They  at- 
tend it  like  its  shadow.  They  wait  upon  it,  as  disease  does 
on  contagion.  Night  is  not  more  sure  to  be  accompanied 
with  darkness,  than  idolatry  with  vice.  The  whole  history 
of  the  world  shows  it ; and  the  reasonings  to  which  we  have 
attended  show  why  it  is  so.  And  history  also  confirms — 
what  those  same  reasonings  teach  us — that  when  men  are 
effectually  called  off  from  idolatry  to  the  belief  of  the  gos- 
pel, when  men  forsake  the  worship  of  idols  and  learn  to  wor- 
ship God,  who  is  an  uncreated  spirit,  the  maker  and  up- 
holder of  all  things,  whose  eye  is  upon  all  actions  and  all 
hearts,  to  notice  and  reward  the  evil  and  the  good, — when 
they  learn  to  rely  on  the  great  sacrifice  of  the  Son  of  God 
for  sin,  and  the  aid  of  the  Spirit  of  God  to  overcome  sin, — 
then  do  those  evils  vanish,  like  darkness  before  the  rising 
sun. 

The  question  of  Christian  missions  to  idolatrous  nations, 
then,  is  not  the  mere  question  whether  they  shall  keep  their 
old  absurdities  of  opinion  and  worship,  or  whether  our  pride 
shall  be  gratified  by  seeing  them  forsake  their  own  ways  for 
ours.  Nor  is  it  the  mere  question,  whether  their  under- 
standings shall  be  enlightened,  and  the  progress  of  the  hu- 
man race  in  correct  speculation  be  accelerated.  It  is  the 
question,  whether  they  shall  have  a faith  that  purifies,  or  one 
that  defiles ; whether  they  shall  understand  what  duties  they 
owe  to  each  other,  and  the  reasons  why  they  should  per- 
form those  duties  ; whether  they  shall  regard  sin  as  a mere 
error,  for  which  sacrifices  and  sufferings  of  their  own  may 


14 


be  a full  atonement,  or  as  a damage  inflicted  upon  their  own 
souls.  The  question  is,  whether  they  shall  learn  to  deal 
honestly  with  the  God  whom  they  worship,  and  in  learning 
that,  learn  the  principle  of  honesty,  which  they  need  in  their 
intercourse  with  men  ; whether  they  shall  learn  purity  of 
heart,  from  the  worship  of  a God  who  is  pure  ; kindness, 
from  the  worship  of  a God  who  is  kind ; benevolence,  from 
the  worship  of  a benevolent  God ; and  all  moral  excellence, 
from  the  worship  of  a God,  in  whom  every  possible  excel- 
lence is  found  in  its  perfection.  The  question  is,  shall  they 
learn  all  these,  or  shall  they  continue  ignorant?  And  not 
only  ignorant,  but  go  on  learning  the  contrary  ; for  idolaters 
wax  worse  and  worse.  Yes  ; the  third  and  fourth,  and  eve- 
ry generation  of  them  that  hate  God,  makes  progress  in  sin. 
The  human  race  did  not  cease  falling  when  Adam  fell ; but 
every  successive  generation  of  them  that  depart  from  God 
falls  lower  and  lower;  and  so  one  tribe  and  nation  and  em- 
pire after  another  has  consumed  away  in  its  own  increasing 
vice,  and  withered  from  the  world.  The  question  is,  wheth- 
er idolatrous  nations  shall  continue  in  all  the  error  and 
crime  and  wretchedness  which  is  consuming  them,  till  they 
pine  away  in  their  iniquity  and  die  ; or  we  will  send  and  car- 
ry them  a faith  which  saves  men ; a faith  which  acquaints 
them  with  purity,  and  justice,  and  kindness,  and  mercy,  and 
which  moves  them  who  receive  it  to  walk  in  ways  of  right- 
eousness. And  among  Christian  men — among  any  candid 
and  sensible  men,  who  understand  the  facts  of  the  case  and 
think  seriously  upon  them,  there  can  be  but  one  answer ; an 
answer,  which  approves  our  Saviour’s  last  command,  “ Go 
ye  into  all  the  earth,  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  crea- 
ture.” 

Do  any  of  you  shrink  from  this  answer,  lest  giving  it  and 
acting  consistently  with  it,  it  should  cost  you  something  ? Re- 
member, “ Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself.”  Con- 
sider how  much  you  prize  the  moral  character  of  your  chil- 
dren. Think  how  much  you  would  expend  upon  them,  to 
save  them  from  becoming  vile.  Imagine  that  you  have  a 
son  or  a daughter,  a brother  or  a sister,  who  is  learning  to 
be  dishonest ; who  is  learning  to  be  cruel ; who  is  taking 
lessons  every  day,  in  sensuality  ; in  the  indulgence  of  appe- 
tite and  passion;  in  whom  all  these  evil  practices  arc  ripen- 
ing into  confirmed  habits,  and  who  is  .encouraged,  by  all 
that  lie  secs  and  hears  of  morals  .and  religion,  t<>  go  on  fear- 


15 


lessly  in  his  downward  course.  What  desires  would  you 
feel,  what  prayers  would  you  offer,  what  efforts  would  you 
make,  for  the  rescue  of  such  an  one  ? How  would  you  look 
around  you  for  help  ! How’  would  you  call  on  every  one. 
who  could  exert  an  influence,  or  procure  an  influence  to  be 
exerted  ! What  efforts,  what  sacrifices,  would  you  think 
vourself  justified  in  asking,  and  in  duty  bound  to  ask,  of  any 
friend,  of  any  neighbor,  of  any  stranger  even,  whose  efforts 
and  sacrifices  might  avail  but  a little  ! And  how  destitute 
of  that  fellow-feeling — that  interest  which  man  ought  always 
to  feel  in  the  well-being  of  man,  would  you  count  him  to 
be,  who  should  see  that  moral  ruin  going  on,  and  yet  w ith- 
hold  the  aid  he  might  afford  to  prevent  it ! — Now  look  at 
the  case  before  us.  There  are.  in  the  regions  of  heathen- 
ism, a hundred  million  sons,  and  a hundred  million  daugh- 
ters, who  have  not  been  confirmed  in  sin  by  long  habits  of 
sinning  : but  w hom  idolatry  is  training  up  to  all  that  is  vile. 
A hundred  million  sons,  idolatry  is  teaching  to  do  what  we 
should  shudder  at  the  thought  of  doing  ourselves,  or  seeing 
our  sons  do ; and  a hundred  million  daughters,  idolatry, 
with  the  whole  force  of  its  influence,  is  making  into  what  we 
would  expend  our  whole  estates  in  a single  day,  rather  than 
see  our  daughters  become.  This  is  fact — to  say  nothing  of 
twice  as  many  more,  whom  idolatry  has  had  longer  under 
its  influence,  and  on  w hom  its  work  of  debasement  is  more 
nearly  complete.  With  these  thoughts  in  your  minds,  just 
look  at  those  millions,  and  say  whether  he  who  goes  to  save 
them  is  a madman,  and  those  who  aid  him,  fools.  Just 
look  at  them  ; and  think,  for  how  much  would  you  have  a 
son  or  a daughter  placed  among  them,  and  educated  in  all 
their  abominations : and  think,  if  your  children  were  there, 
how  much  you  would  give,  and  how  much  you  would,  and 
without  blushing,  too,  ask  your  neighbors,  and  even  stran- 
gers, to  give,  to  redeem  them  from  such  an  education,  and 
place  them  under  a Christian  influence,  even  though  you 
were  never  to  behold  them  again.  How,  especially,  will 
these  questions  be  answered  by  Christian  fwwidt,  who  know 
the  worth  of  the  souls,  and  desire  the  everlasting  welfare  of 
those  they  love  ? 

Think  of  these  things  till  you  understand  them — till  the 
thought  assumes  that  form  and  character  in  your  own  mind, 
which  it  has  in  the  word  of  God ; and  then,  your  prayers  for 


16 


\ 


the  heathen  will  be  heard  without  ceasing,  and  your  influ- 
ence will  be  felt — even  yours — in  promoting  their  salvation. 

Think  of  these  things,  and  you  will  see  that  men  ought 
to  feel  and  act — that  it  is  unworthy  of  them  to  refrain  from 
feeling  and  acting.  Think  of  these  things,  and  you  will 
honor  and  bless  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  for  coming  into  this 
dark,  idolatrous  world,  to  bring  and  teach  a gospel  which 
would  make  men  wise  unto  salvation.  You  will  count  it 
praise-worthy  in  him — yea — exalted  above  all  blessing  and 
praise  that  you  can  render — that  he  accomplished  this  work, 
even  at  the  price  of  his  most  precious  blood.  And  you  will 
honor  his  holy  Apostles,  who,  at  the  peril  and  expense  of 
their  lives  went  forth  to  the  heathen,  to  whom  he  sent  them, 
entreating  them  to  turn  from  dumb  idols,  to  serve  the  living 
God.  Think  of  these  things,  and  you  will  see  a deep  and 
solemn  meaning,  a thrilling  and  sublime  propriety,  in  the 
transaction  for  which  we  are  now  assembled,  which  it  has 
been  the  object  of  this  discourse  to  justify  in  the  sight  of  all 
your  consciences,  and  for  the  further  prosecution  of  which  I 
now  give  way.  May  the  Lord  command  his  blessing  upon 
it,  for  his  Son’s  sake — Amen. 


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